I'm standing on Yovimpa Point, the southernmost stop on the paved Bryce Canyon road, looking out over the national park's brilliantly colored hoodoos, obelisks, fairy spires and columns. Directly below me The Promontory drops into the heart of the Bryce badlands; pale white along the brink, the earth flares a sudden orange below the first line of cliffs, with striations of red and tawny peach on the smooth siltstone slopes.
Is there a stranger landscape anywhere on earth? This is a striking land, photogenic, yet weird. How can one describe the park's strangely shaped rock formations?
The best description I've found was given by an elderly Native American called Indian Dick. In 1936 he explained "The Legend of Bryce Canyon" to a National Park Service naturalist:.
Before there were any Indians, the Legend People...lived in that place. There were many of them. They were of many kinds — birds, animals, lizards, and such things — but they looked like people.... For some reason the Legend People in that place were bad.... Because they were bad, Coyote turned them all into rocks. You can see them in that place now, all turned into rocks; some standing in rows, some sitting down, some holding onto others. You can see their faces, with paint on them just as they were before they became rocks. The name of that place is Angka-ku-wass-a-wits. This is the story the people tell.
(Source: Bryce Canyon Historic Resources Study)
Anglo pioneer homesteader Ebenezer Bryce was more direct when he described it as simply "a helluva place to lose a cow."
Bryce isn't really a canyon. Rather it is a "break" or amphitheater carved into the eastern slope of the Paunsaguant Plateau. As you approach, as you look over the edge for the first time, the view is dramatic. Rows of pine trees veil the color and grandeur of the amphitheater until you reach the rim. Then, abruptly, the land falls away and you see hundreds of delicately carved spires and hoodoos coming alive in vibrant colors.
Even today, this is cowboy and Indian country. Trading posts dot Hwy 12 as you approach. Horseback trail rides are very popular in and around the park. Businesses near the entrance offer chuck wagon dinners, rodeos, Western shootouts and other traditional activities.
The national park is open year-round. During winter snow piles deep along the forested rim and the park is a popular place to cross-country ski and snowshoe. But summer is my favorite time to visit, when I can hike into the amphitheater and get to know the hoodoos up close and personal.
Bryce Canyon offers options for all interest levels. Many people simply auto tour along the rim and stroll out to the viewpoints. Others hike along the rim, enjoying vistas unavailable to auto-bound tourists. Serious hikers enjoy treks to more remote areas in the park.
The Bryce Canyon Half Marathon and 5K Run/Walk will be held on June 15, 2006. The course follows Scenic Byway 12, Utah's All-American Road, from Ruby's Inn through a corner of the national park and down to Cannonville.
In nearby Panguitch there will be a hot air balloon festival June 23-25, 2006.
– Dave Webb
Reprinted with permission from The Utah Office of Tourism
www.travel.utah.gov
Activities to Enjoy: |
| Hiking |
Golf |
ATVs |
Boating |
| Camping |
Ice Skating |
Biking |
Rafting |
| Hunting |
Wildlife |
Fall Colors |
Scenic Drives |
| Museums |
Lakes/Rivers |
Snowmobiling |
Dog Sledding |
| Horseback Riding |
Fresh Water Fishing |
| Climbing/Canyoneering |
Festivals/State Fairs |
| Alpine & Nordic Skiing/Snowboarding |
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